06 Mar 2 arrested for heroin, cocaine and open container violation

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, March 6, 2014.

Anne Arundel County police officers recently arrested two men after a traffic stop in Gambrills. The two Maryland men, ages 24 and 58, face various drug charges, including possession of both heroin and cocaine. They also purportedly had open containers of alcohol in the vehicle.

A few minutes after midnight, a police officer pulled over a Dodge Magnum for speeding, although the vehicle’s exact speed at this time was not reported. When the officer attempted to run the vehicle’s tags, the officer apparently found that the tags were suspended. The driver’s license was purportedly suspended as well.

The officer searched the vehicle and claimed to find 32.77 grams of crack cocaine, 2.52 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia on the driver’s person as well as inside the Dodge. The 58-year-old passenger was arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and an open container violation. The driver was arrested on the same charges, but he also faces additional charges for suspended tags and a suspended license.

Even when the arresting officer claims to have hard evidence against the suspects, all persons accused of drug crimes — including possession of heroin and cocaine — are innocent until, and only if, proven guilty. The burden of proof ultimately falls on Maryland prosecutors to establish guilt in court and beyond a reasonable doubt. As both the prosecution and the defense begin to prepare their cases, the two men would do well to protect their individual legal rights at every stage of the pending criminal proceedings.

Source: The Baltimore Sun, Police arrest two men on drug charges stemming from traffic stop, No author, March 5, 2014